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The newest version of iOS is available today, Apple revealed during its Watch event today.
iOS 8.2 is arriving for those owning an Apple device, namely the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The iOS update comes complete with Apple Watch support along with bug fixes and better stability. iOS 8.2 also includes improvements to the Health app.
News of the update came during Tim Cook's presentation of the Apple Watch, which will support a number of third-party applications like Uber and Instagram.
The Apple Watch is available beginning April 24. Pricing details were unveiled, including a $10,000 tag for the Apple Watch Edition.
- Follow along with our Apple Watch live blog!


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n a move that is set to bring relief to Mac users, Apple has rolled out the latest software update for macOS Ventura. The much-anticipated macOS 13.5.1 update is now available for download, and it comes packed with a vital remedy targeting a specific System Settings dilemma – and no, it’s not just about the layout.
The Cupertino-based tech giant is leaving no stone unturned in its commitment to delivering seamless user experiences. The macOS Ventura 13.5.1 update takes aim at a vexing issue plaguing System Settings, a cornerstone of the macOS environment. This problem has been preventing the smooth display of location permissions within the System Settings interface.
With the new macOS Ventura 13.5.1 update, Apple engineers have diligently eradicated this impediment, promising Mac users an uninterrupted and hassle-free interaction with location permissions. No longer will users have to grapple with missing or glitchy location permission prompts within the System Settings menu.
- Apple Rolls Out watchOS 9.6.1
- Apple TV+ Unveils Exclusive Premiere of New Snoopy Special: ‘One-of-a-Kind Marcie’
While the latest update for macOS Ventura is making waves, the same can’t be said for the macOS Sonoma beta. The tech sphere had been abuzz with anticipation of an imminent update, but it seems Apple’s development priorities lie elsewhere for the time being.

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Bike News India - All Latest Bike Information and Auto news India
Here are 5 mods which turns a Continental GT 650 cafe racer into this GTR 650...
The Hero Splendor, Maestro Edge and others get costlier. Although the price...
The W175 will be Kawasaki’s most affordable bike, but will still be...
Weekly Two-wheeler News Wrap-up: TVS Jupiter Classic Launched, New Pulsar N150 Spied, Honda 100cc Bike Incoming And More
This week had new launches, spy shots and scoop on upcoming bikes
Will get the same engine but different suspension, seat with scrambler styling
It has been spotted without any camo
Gets several changes but comes with a steep premium
Here’s when the paint schemes will be launched
Kawasaki’s smallest India offering will also be its most affordable yet
There’s good news for other Yamaha bikes as well
They come with decent range, sporty colours and an enticing price tag
More power and better suspension accentuate its sporty appeal
Called the Bharat Grand Prix, it will be held at the Buddh International...
This translates to one public charging point for every 15 EVs
Book one of these new exotics ahead of their launch


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» View Samsung Centaur Seh S738c Manual
View Samsung Centaur Seh S738c Manual
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CloudFlare, a Web accelerator is having network-wide DNS problems as reported ubergizmo.com (03/03).
“We are experiencing a network-wide issue,” said the CloudFlare via the company’s official Twitter account.
For those of you who [...]
BlackBerry Live event held in Orlando, USA, Tuesday (14/5), BlackBerry announced their new hero on the BlackBerry 10 platform, the BlackBerry Q5.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Wednesday (15/5), according to a recent leak outstanding, the Q5 is a cheap version [...]
Not long after the presence of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 at Mobile World Congress, is now audible leaks on the presence of its 3G version.
It is verified through a newspaper as reported endgadget.com (12/03), the series Galaxy Note 8.0 3G has entered [...]
The use of female anime characters are cute.
On Monday (10/29), Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said that since its launch last week, the rate of sales of Windows 8 exceeds the rate of sales of Windows 7, which is the top-selling version [...]
Unfinished news about the iPhone 5S, the latest info is precisely focused on the iPhone 6.
Quoted from BGR, Wednesday (1/5), an analyst mentioned that this smartphone will be released in June 2014.
Analyst named Peter Misek it seems pretty confident [...]
The device is also reinforced with a battery that can last 9 hours.
Sandy Storm did make Android Google canceled the event due to be held in New York City, yesterday local time. However, that does not mean Google Nexus series canceled announced their [...]
This product is a breakthrough which brings the Go Green campaign. What are these phones? Read short reviews below.
Samsung Blue Earth
Blue Earth phone is a touchscreen mobile phone made by Samsung’s first solar-powered, which first appeared [...]
Mars or also called the Red Planet is predicted to be hit by a comet around the year 2014.
Quoted from Slashgear, Friday (29/3), is the Australian Observatory astronomer who discovered the comet on January 3.
Australian Observatory comet called C/2013 [...]
If the basic applications like wallpaper request access to the GPS data, then it is suspicious.
More than 100,000 Android apps in the Google Play are included in the category of “suspicious” and “questionable”, according to a [...]
iPad Mini shipments would begin on November 2.
After Apple issued invitations to a mysterious event on 23 October, rumors about the iPad Mini seems to have been confirmed.
In a simple invitation that Apple does mention “got a little more to show”. [...]
Research In Motion (RIM) has finally officially announced the event dates for BlackBerry 10.
Quoted from IntoMobile, Tuesday (11/13), January 30, 2013 will be a historic day for the latest platform’s launch.
In this event, the Canadian manufacturer [...]


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The initial specifications of the upcoming Red Magic gaming tablet, which will be launched alongside Red Magic 8S Pro phone series have been revealed. The battery details of the upcoming gaming tablet are here.
Red Magic gaming tablet battery specifications
Red Magic’s new gaming tablet is equipped with a 10,000 mAh battery and it supports 80W rapid charging. Having a 10,000 mAh battery capacity is considered quite impressive for a tablet, and based on the teaser images shared, it is very likely that this tablet will feature a dual-cell battery design. This design enables the tablet to charge even faster than a single-cell battery, taking advantage of the 80W fast charging capability.
As stated by Red Magic, the 80W fast charging will enable the tablet to go from 0% to 100% in just 55 minutes, which is a commendable feat for a tablet housing such a massive 10,000 mAh battery. The new Red Magic 8S series phones and the new tablet will be unveiled on July 5 in China at 15:00.
What do you think about Red Magic’s gaming devices? Please comment down below!


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Traders had a lot of data to chew on Thursday, most of which was essentially in line with expectations, sending stocks surging.
“Once again equity and commodity markets have started out the day attempting to rebound. Whether gains are sustainable today or whether the day ends in tears like yesterday remains to be seen,” said CMC Markets analyst Colin Cieszynski.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Read more about stories moving the markets today:
Chinese exports leap, put yuan back under microscope
Wall Street jumps on China exports and euro
Consumer confidence dips in May
Oil rises above US$74 as China exports surge
Canada records small April trade surplus, house prices rise
US trade gap widens in April to $40.3 billion
C$ highest since May 18 on recovery prospects
U.S. initial unemployment claims fall
Bank of England keeps interest rate at record-low 0.50%
ECB keeps rates steady


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Something curious is happening in Metro Manila’s fast-food chains.
In the past few weeks, people have noticed that multiple outlets of chains like McDonald’s and Jollibee have been lacking one very essential part of the fast-food experience: Coca-Cola.
Twenty-year-old college student Nico Martin experienced this firsthand last Thursday when he visited a Jollibee in the city of Manila.
“I was already looking at the [drink] choices they had. [I noticed] that Coke was missing, so I just asked if they had [it],” he told Coconuts Manila.
Turned out they didn’t, but Martin soon found out that it wasn’t just Jollibee that was experiencing a shortage of the fizzy drink.
“The same thing this week when I went to McDo (McDonald’s), I went to Jollibee again, and then Tapa King,” Martin said.
While he was surprised, Martin didn’t bother asking why the restaurants didn’t have Coke and just ordered Sprite instead.
“I just wanted to eat right away,” he said in Filipino and English.
But others aren’t as chill about this suddenly Coke-free turn of events, and plenty of netizens are sharing their dismay on social media.
Twitter user @jackfrost2388 said he has actually noticed the lack of Coke for quite some time.
“I heard they still don’t have coke in mcdo… it’s been more than a month,” the netizen said in Filipino.
Another user missed the Coke floats served in both McDonald’s and Jollibee.
“Mcdo and Jollibee still don’t have coke float,” @abbygamonez said with a broken heart emoji.
@tatiana_shei was pissed.
“So annoying in mcdo earlier HAHAHHAHAHA, ***** no coke,” she said.
@jasminemaganda1 simply asked what everyone is wondering: “Why is there no coke in jollibee and mcdo why why what happened???”
@IamEvitha, on the other hand, shared a plausible theory.
“That’s why there’s no coke in mcdo. Coca-cola has had a reduction in production because of a sugar shortage” she said. And she may have a point.
In May, Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, Inc. filed a complaint to the National Economic and Development Authority because local refiners have allegedly refused to sell them sugar because of a sugar shortage.
The price of raw sugar also continues to increase. According to a report by The Philippine Daily Inquirer last month, the average mill-gate price of sugar was over PHP2,000 (US$37.38) for the first time since 2016.
Coconuts Manila went to its neighborhood Jollibee, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s and found out that none of those branches had Coke either even though all other drinks were available.
Annalyn Orcullo, an employee at the Wendy’s in Greenhills Shopping Center, said it was because of a sugar supply shortage, but she didn’t have any more details regarding the matter. She said they have not been advised about when their supply will be restored.
Thankfully, Coca-Cola cans and bottles are still available in supermarkets, so maybe stick to those for now?


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Flavour of the week: Hertz’s new president, Airbnb adds ex-COO to board, Topdeck’s fresh digital agency + MORE!
Trying to work up the courage to ask your boss for that big promotion? Get inspired by these industry guns. Or, just have a few too many at knock-off drinks this arvo and ask them then.
Livn introduces a new way to move supplier transactions online
We’re moving our lunch online by ordering Uber Eats for the fifth meal in a row. It’s more efficient and significantly more delicious.
Livn founder Steve Martinez: “We need the industry to reach its full potential”
Travel Weekly also needs its editorial team to reach its full potential. Though the three pre-lunch beers don’t seem to be helping. Fridays right?
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From Bachelor parties to late night buffets, Las Vegas brings on some messy moments, so Clorox partnered with the Office’s Queen of Clean, Angela Kinsey, to find The Strip’s stickiest situations!
Last year Clorox launched the Bleach It Away community, providing a platform for people to share OMG EWW moments, commiserate with others in sticky situations and enter for the chance to win prizes. This year, Clorox took it a step further by offering the chance at fifteen minutes of fame just for sharing a mess.
Mom and comedian, Angela Kinsey, scoured the Vegas Strip in search of real-life messy moments, and encourage those in and out of Vegas to submit their own moment to http://www.BleachItAway.com/Vegas to have it displayed on digital billboards over the Strip. Kinsey showed participants how to bleach away those notorious (but often hilarious) Vegas messes and will reward one lucky winner with $15,000 and bragging rights.
There are inevitable messy moments in life when the “yuck” is so over the top all you can do is reach for the bleach, Clorox® calls these “bleachable moments,” and there isn’t a better place to find these than in the mecca of all messy moments – Las Vegas. That’s why in its second year The Clorox® Company is taking its Bleach It Away program to the Strip.
“We know life gets messy and sometimes all one can do is laugh. In Vegas there is a whole different level of ick, and I’m excited to be joining Clorox® to hear people’s messy moments firsthand,” said Kinsey. “As a mom, I’ve seen my fair share of messes and it’s nice to know someone else understands what I’m going through and can share in the fun of a little comic relief.”
Besides patrolling in search of messy moments, Clorox® took over two interactive digital billboards. And now through February 24, visitors can visit http://www.BleachItAway.com/Vegas to fill in the blanks of a messy Vegas moment for the chance to have it featured in bright lights over the Vegas Strip on the Fashion Show Mall and Miracle Mile billboards.
Big Rewards for Spilled Secrets
When Clorox® is involved, messy moments can lead to rewards. Now through March 4 anyone, anywhere can share a messy moment at http://www.BleachItAway.com and be entered for the chance to win a grand prize of $15,000*.
In addition, each day a featured moment will be given the spotlight on the site and be awarded a $50 gift card.
Everyone who submits their moment will instantly receive a coupon for $.50 off any bottle of Clorox® Regular-Bleach via email for the first moment they submit.
Fans can also submit their messy moments on Twitter using the hashtag #bleachitaway to be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card in a weekly Twitter sweepstakes.
“We should all be rewarded for surviving life’s bleachable moments,” said Mara McCune, Marketing Manager, The Clorox® Company. “The ultimate goal of our Bleach It Away campaign is all about looking back and laughing at those messes that may not have been funny at the time, but are the stories you’ll remember and retell for years to come.”
Along with sharing bleachable moments for the chance to win, visitors will be able to laugh with others and receive valuable cleaning tips and tricks. With advice from Clorox’s panel of experts, including Dr. Laundry, and access to myStain™ – Clorox’s free mobile app for on-the-go stain removal advice.
There’s a Card for That
To keep even more laughs coming, this year Clorox® also partnered with Someecards, a digital-greeting-card company specializing in creating humorous content based on current events and holidays – and now bleachable moments! Clorox® and Someecards worked together to create a series of special-edition cards highlighting those all too familiar eww-filled moments that make us smile (and sometime cringe). Now with a simple post, pin, like or tweet the humor within the messy moment misery can be shared with this Someecards series on http://www.BleachItAway.com.
So HollywoodLifers, Want to connect with other Clorox® fans and messy moment survivors on Facebook and Twitter? Log on to http://www.Facebook.com/Clorox, or follow @Clorox to receive the latest product news, tips, offers and more!


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Lutemax 2020 has won the NutraIngredients Asia Ingredient of the year in Sports Nutrition. The judges chose Lutemax 2020 as the winning ingredient but “[They] liked the fact that this ingredient could benefit the fast-growing community of gamers and esport athletes by supporting visual health and performance, cognition, stress support, and blue light protection.”
Lutemax 2020 is a unique combination of bioavailable lutein and zeaxanthin isomers in a 5:1 ratio. They are critical for protecting the eye on a daily basis—so much so that their concentrations in the retina are three times the number of carotenoids in normal human sera. Because the body cannot synthesize the macular carotenoids, dietary intake is the only way to ensure optimal levels in the retina to protect against daily blue light exposure.
Lutemax 2020 is backed by multiple clinical studies, which fill the multiple needs of gamers and esports enthusiasts including: Visual health and performance, cognition and stress support, and blue light protection and sleep.
Gaming is, perhaps, the epitome of a sport where competitive advantage is almost exclusively determined by cognitive performance. Games today are faster, more intense, and more sophisticated. They are mentally demanding, engage multiple cognitive processes and require split-second reaction time. In 2015, the world had roughly two billion gamers. By 2024, the number is expected to rise over 3.3 billion.
Gaming is like many other competitive activities, requiring endurance for campaigns that can last for hours and recovery from prolonged play. Lutemax 2020 has been shown to supports gamers by protecting their eyes from harmful blue light, reducing the impact of screen glare and helping to reduce eye fatigue. All of which are associated with digital device use.
Lutemax 2020 delivers a combination of clinically demonstrated benefits from a single ingredient which makes it uniquely positioned to address the multiple needs of gamers in four critical ways:
Visual health and performance
For gamers, visual performance, such as contrast detection, is imperative for optimal visual processing. In multiple studies, Lutemax 2020 was shown to consistently improve contrast sensitivity, photo-stress recovery, disability-glare thresholds as well as increased visual processing speed.
In the same way traditional athletes depend on an optimal physique, gamers depend on keeping their minds sharp. Lutemax 2020 increased BDNF (a protein that supports growth and differentiation of neurons) and improved several parameters of cognitive performance, including composite and verbal memory, sustained attention, and processing and psychomotor speed (closely related to reaction time).
Gamers have been shown to experience spikes in cortisol, a stress hormone, which has been linked to negative effects such as weight gain, anxiety, depression, cognition, and overall health. Lutemax 2020 has been shown to significantly reduce stress, serum cortisol, and symptoms of suboptimal emotional and physical health.
Blue light protection and sleep
A study showed that gaming for more than one hour a day was linked to a 30% higher risk of poor sleep quality. Unlike other sleep aids, Lutemax 2020 is not a sedative or a hormone. It instead helps with what may be causing sleep issues for gamers: prolonged blue light exposure. Digital device use extends well beyond the length of the natural day and adds to the duration of blue light exposure.
Blue light has been shown to suppress melatonin, a hormone which has long been associated with the circadian rhythm (i.e., the sleep/wake cycle). Lutemax 2020 was clinically shown to significantly improve sleep quality in subjects exposed to prolong blue light from sources such as digital devices.
Origin and delivery forms
Naturally derived from marigold flowers, Lutemax 2020 is a patented extract containing all three nutritionally relevant macular carotenoids—lutein, RR-zeaxanthin, and RS (meso)-zeaxanthin— in the same 5:1 ratio as found in the diet. Lutemax 2020 is available in a variety of oil suspensions and 100% vegetarian beadlets using Versabead technology, which provides enhanced stability and dispersibility to deliver gamers the benefits they demand in applications they prefer such as beverages and gummies.
To discuss how to break into the gaming and esport category with a true winner, contact us.


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Microsoft has been working closely with its large enterprise customers to help them map out blockchain strategies. But, as you might expect, the company is not ignoring blockchain in the consumer space.
As an example of how Microsoft is interested in watching blockchain tech for consumers, Yorke Rhodes, global business strategist at Microsoft, pointed to a company called Slock.it, which sells technology to control physical objects, such as locks, linked to smart contracts that run on the Ethereum blockchain.
“The idea is that you can use blockchain to provide secure ways to share stuff that doesn’t necessarily involve an Uber or an Airbnb or a sharing economy company,” Rhodes said. “Slockit also has a consumer IoT hub. … It’s basically a little computer that sits on the blockchain that’s also an IoT hub to connect other IoT devices in homes.” According to the Slock.it website, the technology gives “connected objects an identity, the ability to receive payments and the ability to enter complex agreements.”
As another example of a consumer-focused and IoT-enabled blockchain use case, Rhodes pointed to the idea of charging electric vehicles at places other than today’s dedicated charging stations. One of the gating factors in the sale of electric vehicles relates to the infrastructure around charging the vehicles: Long trips away from an owner’s home base are highly dependent on the location of existing charging stations.
Rhodes explained: “There’s electricity everywhere. The question is, How do you charge for it? If you can figure out a way so you can securely identify a consumer that’s going to charge from a distributed electrical outlet that might be on the side of someone’s building or someone’s house or garage or gas station or whatever and be able to distribute the fees associated with that appropriately, and do it securely and make it all seamless to the consumer, you’ve started to create a much more significant charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.”
Rhodes suggested that Microsoft may choose to embed blockchain tech into the operating system. “We could say, ‘Hey, we have a great operating system adopted by tens and tens of millions of people. What if there is technology that we could build into the operating system and/or in the browser that would help Joe Consumer be on the blockchain by default?’ He cautioned, however, that he doesn’t know whether that will come to pass.


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Microsoft has recently started rolling out Windows 10 20H2 (October 2020 Update) and in six months’ time, Windows 10 21H1 will arrive. With such a fast-paced, twice-annual update cycle, it can be hard for Windows 10 PC owners to keep up. Certainly, Microsoft wants you to update to the newest version as soon as possible, but that may not always be the best idea.
Simply put, Microsoft has a horrendous recent track record. Most major Windows 10 feature updates arrive with a lot of bugs. Whether you are an organization rolling out an update across devices, or just a single PC owner, deferring Windows 10 updates for a few weeks or months is actually a good idea.
That sounds counter-intuitive. Surely the newest version of the platform is the latest and greatest? Well, not always because getting a major update stable takes some time. Many major updates cause issues and for users that’s not good news. No one likes going about their usual business of watching movies, getting work done, browsing, playing at casino UK venues, or editing only to find Windows is slow or crashing. That is a frustrating situation that many early adopters of Windows updates find is happening time and time again.
In many instances, a new Windows 10 update makes the platform buggy, unresponsive, and in some cases completely non-functional. Why is this happening? After-all, Microsoft is the biggest software company in the world, shouldn’t it know how to deliver a stable update?
The answer is yes, at least partly. Microsoft is somewhat to blame for consistent broken Windows updates reaching users. However, that is not the whole story and it is arguably Microsoft is already doing as much as it can.
Let’s break it down. Firstly, Microsoft has done a lot over the Windows 10 generation to try to make updates more stable. In many ways, the creation of the Windows Insider Program was all about making Windows builds stable before they reach end users.
If you are unfamiliar with the Insider Program, it allows users access to early pre-release Windows 10 builds to test features before they are released. In return, users provide feedback on builds to help Microsoft make improvements before full launch. It sounds good on paper, so why does Windows 10 have more bugs and issues than previous Windows versions?
It seems either the Insider program is not working, or the platform is so overloaded with issues Microsoft cannot tackle them all. Certainly, the company’s decision to treat Windows as a platform as a service (PaaS) has little benefit. It always feels the company is rushing to keep up with its commitment of two annual updates when one single yearly update would make more sense.
Let’s not trach Microsoft completely because the company deserves some sympathy. Windows 10 is like few other platforms. It is on literally billions of devices around the world, most of them in enterprise settings. Simply put, rolling out an update on the scale Microsoft does is no easy task and one could argue bugs and issues are simply par for the course.
If that’s the case, there is one-way users can avoid the problems through the early release of an update… don’t update! Avoid installing a Windows 10 update in the weeks after its initial release. Give Microsoft time to stabilize the build, squash bugs, and make an overall more stable experience.


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Executives from Papa John’s, Outback Steakhouse and other major brands talk getting started and standing out
A fragile economy and overabundance of debt make it an especially difficult time to start a company. But this week, restaurant industry leaders and legends gathered in Chicago to recognize foodservice’s ability to develop hard-working operators — and their ideas. The inaugural Winning Ideas from Successful Entrepreneurs Summit, or W.I.S.E. Summit, brought together founders and chief executives of some of the largest restaurant brands in the U.S. to share what drove their success ...
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Capital One’s Auto Navigator’s latest update combines auto financing with actual vehicle shopping, scouring 3 million cars and 12,000 dealerships nationwide to help consumers find the right vehicle.
The Auto Navigator also recently debuted a soft credit check that looks at a consumer’s credit score without affecting it.
The goal is to make consumers dealer ready before they step foot on the car lot.
“We’re really challenging the market for the sake of our customers.”
“That’s new, and the car listings themselves are new,” said Megan Baker, senior director of brand marketing. “We have made that a seamless daily update. We’re really challenging the market for the sake of our customers.”
All this innovation comes from “The Garage” innovation center at Capital One’s campus in Plano. The Auto Navigator debuted in the summer of 2015 and has been constantly changing since then.
The garage has a testing area where consumers can take the Auto Navigator for a spin to find potential problems.
“We understand the pain points they go through when they buy,” Prachi Purohit, senior manager of corporate communications for Capital One.
HOW IT WORKS
First, consumers enter their personal information and the soft credit check is conducted. Whether they get prequalified or not, they can browse vehicles by location, price, features, and other factors from the Auto Navigator website. They can even search for a specific vehicle by VIN.
The tool factors in the price, interest rate and other factors on the fly.
“You can actually change the vehicle sales price in the tool itself and see how that changes your monthly payment and APR,” Baker said.
Then, the consumer can pull that information up on their mobile browser, take it to the dealership and start the actual buying process.
Vehicle trade-ins, warranties, and other add-ons can be plugged in, too.
The Auto Navigator finances vehicles from $4,000 up to $40,000.
DFW AUTO SHOW
Capital One will showcase the Auto Navigator at the DFW Auto Show March 22-26 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
Capital One is the title sponsor for the car show and will have a meet and greet with Chip Foose from the show Overhaulin’.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Capital One at this year’s DFW Auto Show, ”Foose said in a statement. “In my more than 45 years in the auto industry, styles, models, and technology have constantly evolved,” Foose said. “So, too, has the way we finance cars — the Capital One Auto Navigator website is a great example of that.”
He’ll also have one of his custom cars on display.
Overhaulin’ co-host Adrienne Janic will also be in attendance.
Delivering what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth innovation, every day. Get the Dallas Innovates e-newsletter.


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Online auction platform designed to stop deals between CER suppliers and buyers falling through
One of the key barriers to buying UN approved carbon credits looks set to be removed with the launch of a new internet based auction service designed to stop agreements between credit purchasers and suppliers...
UK buoyed by Offshore Wind Sector deal, but lack of clarity over onshore wind and nuclear suggests bleak outlook for renewables investment, analysts warn
2.3MW Lancashire site is now providing power to glass manufacturer NSG Group
Family illness means Universities Minister Chris Skidmore will temporarily take over climate brief
A year after the UK's biggest supermarkets and food manufacturers signed the Plastic Pact, a new report reveals the progress that has been made


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January 12, 2021
Branded salty snacks manufacturer Utz Brands Inc. announced Monday that it is moving forward on a plan to acquire some assets of the Vitner’s snack products brand from Chicagoland-based snacks company Snak-King Corp.
The $25 million transaction includes the Vitner’s trademark, intellectual property, and direct-store-delivery (DSD) distribution assets connected to the brand.
“Combined with our recently announced acquisition of the On the Border tortilla chip, salsa and queso brand, we create a strong brand platform to better serve the primary salty snack channels and continue to expand rapidly in this important growth market. This transaction is a continuation of our strategy to successfully build long-term value and share by expanding in major metropolitan areas, like we did in New York City in 1994, Boston in 2004, Pittsburgh in 2006 and Atlanta in 2011,” Utz CEO Dylan Lissette said in a statement. “This acquisition strengthens our competitive position and will be a spark for continued growth in the Midwest.”
Founded in 1926, Vitner’s has an established presence in the Midwest and currently operates 55 DSD routes. The brand offers potato chips, cheese snacks, corn chips and popcorn. Utz said the deal will make the company the fourth-largest salty snacks firm operating in the Chicago market, which is also the fourth-largest salty snack market in the US.
The acquisition is expected to close on Feb. 8, 2021 after completion of customary closing conditions are met.
The global savory snacks market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% between 2020 and 2025, according to a forecast published by Mordor Intelligence. North America is projected to be the largest market during the period.
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5 Channel Partner Program and MSP Market News Updates: 02 May 2022
by Joe Panettieri • May 2, 2022
Here are five (actually, more) technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Monday, May 2, 2022. Sip up.
What’s In Our Daily Brew?
- Who We Serve: Content for managed services providers (MSPs), IT service providers (ITSPs), cybersecurity consultants, technology solutions providers (TSPs), systems integrators, VARs, independent software vendors (ISVs), distributors and any other partner acronym that further caffeinates our already stellar SEO.
- Frequency: Every business morning.
- Reaching the Barista: Send news, tips and rumors to [email protected].
A. Today’s Technology, Channel Chief and MSP Partner Program News
1. Dell Technologies World: The Dell Technologies World 2022 conference, in Las Vegas this week, could shed new light on Dell’s everything-as-a-service strategy, known as Dell APEX.
2. Channel Chief – Cloud-first Backup: Redstor has hired Datto, Barracuda and Skout Cybersecurity veteran Mike Hanauer as chief revenue officer (CRO).
3. Ubiquiti Managed Services: SimpleFly has introduced Ubiquiti managed services and support contracts, which are “designed to intercept network and device issues before they can become expensive, business-crippling outages.”
4. Antitrust 1 of 3 – Google Fine: Google urged Europe’s second-highest court to dismiss a 1.49-billion-euro ($1.6 billion) fine imposed by EU antitrust regulators three years ago for hindering rivals in online search advertising, according to Reuters.
5. Antitrust 2 of 3 – Apple Investigation: EU antitrust regulators charged Apple with restricting rivals’ access to its NFC chip technology in a move that could result in a hefty fine for the iPhone maker and force it to open its mobile payment system to competitors, Reuters reported.
6. Antitrust 3 of 3 – Big Tech Investigations: See all Big Tech antitrust investigations worldwide involving Amazon, Alphabet/Google, Apple, Meta/Facebook and Microsoft.
B. Channel Partner Summits, MSP Conferences and Virtual Events Calendar
- Fortinet Accelerate 2022 (May 10-13, Virtual)
- IBM Think 2022 (May 10-11, Boston & Virtual)
- Cisco Marketing Velocity 2022 (May 10-11, Virtual)
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Better Business Bureau Investigates Guntersville Online Business
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – Little is more convenient than online shopping, but from the safety of your own home or workplace, it’s easy to feel a false sense of security when handing over your money online.
Now the Better Business Bureau of North Alabama is warning against an online company claiming to be located out of Guntersville.
“They’re using the BBB logo and claiming to have an “A+” rating, but we know that’s not the case,” said Michele Mason, President of the Better Business Bureau of North Alabama.
At first look, OverstockClearanceOutlet.com seems like a legitimate and trustworthy business. The front page sports the BBB logo. However, Mason says it takes a business up to seven years to get an A+ rating, and the business has only been online since April 29th, 2013.
The company claims to be located in Guntersville, but doesn’t post a physical address or even a phone number.
The site sells fitness equipment, but when you try to make a purchase they require shoppers to purchase a Green Dot Money Pak and use that as a form of payment.
The money pass is a pre-paid card that leaves no paper trail and no way to be reimbursed. According to Mason, one customer has been scammed by a sister-site “OverstockSalesCloseout.com,” which has since been shut down and is being investigated by the FBI.
“They went to purchase the equipment, and were instructed to put the money on a Money Pak, and they received nothing in return,” said Mason.
Mason cautions shoppers to be wary of sites requiring Money Pak payments, and if something looks suspicious verify a company’s authenticity through the Better Business Bureau’s website.


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Asia’s first cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund (ETF) could be launched in India’s GIFT City this year.
According to India INX’s MD & CEO V Balasubramaniam, the exchange has already made an application to IFSCA under the regulatory sandbox.(This story originally appeared in on Jan 14, 2022)Mumbai: Asia’s first cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund (ETF) could be launched in India’s GIFT City this year.
Torus Kling Blockchain IFSC, a joint venture between Mumbai-based Cosmea Financial Holdings and Hyderabad-based Kling Trading India, has signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with BSE’s international arm India INX to launch digital asset-based products, which will be traded on GIFT City’s IFSC (international financial services centre).
The development comes after the US securities regulator SEC in October 2021 allowed launch of a crypto futures ETF, the first such in the US. ETFs like these track returns from cryptocurrencies without investing directly in the digital tokens.
Did you Know?
Sotheby’s has sold $65 million of NFTs in 2021, while arch-rival Christie’s has sold more than $100 million of the new type of crypto asset
View Details »
The Torus Kling crypto futures ETF will be launched in a sandbox environment, which is under GIFT regulatory authority IFSCA. Such a sandbox allows regulated entities to launch and live-test products under strict controls.
Once the Torus Kling ETF obtains regulatory nod, Indians will be able to invest in this ETF using the RBI’s liberalised remittance scheme (LRS) route. Global investors, who have similar options in the US and Switzerland, will have another alternative to invest through the regular process.
According to India INX’s MD & CEO V Balasubramaniam, the exchange has already made an application to IFSCA under the regulatory sandbox.
According to estimates, global annual derivatives trading volume in the cryptocurrency market is about $3.2 trillion, while total spot volume is at approximately $2.7 trillion. According to Torus Kling Blockchain IFSC’s CEO Krishna Mohan Meenavalli,ETFs allow trading through regular investment accounts, bypassing the hassle and security concerns of cryptocurrency exchanges.
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Dodgy tradesmen are using high pressure sales tactics and falsely claiming connections to the council as they try to persuade people to part with their hard-earned cash.
The SIC’s trading standards department are warning householders to be wary of people going door to door and offering to resurface their driveways.
Head of the department David Marsh said some of the claims being made were as old as could be.
“We’re getting reports of false claims about connections to the council, and of high pressure sales tactics being used,” he said.
“Rogue traders were claiming to ‘have materials left over from doing a job for the council’ even before I started in trading standards, and that was over 30 years ago.
“It wasn’t true then, and it isn’t true now – it’s just a ruse to try to make you think you might get a bargain.
“Every year we hear about rogue traders pretending to have ‘just done a good deal for your neighbours’, claiming links to the council or to reputable local businesses, making exaggerated claims about warranties and guarantees, and selling items or work which are not up to the quality the consumer was led to expect.
“The best defence is to simply say no, because showing any interest in what’s being offered is only likely to encourage the seller – and if someone at your door refuses to take no for an answer, then phone Trading Standards or the police right away.
“We also get reports of vulnerable members of our community being pressured into handing over large sums of money for products or work which was neither wanted nor needed, and family, friends and neighbours can often provide very valuable support in such situations.”
Doorstep sellers, or other suspicious activity, can be reported to trading standards or to Police Scotland on 101. But anyone who feels threatened is urged to dial 999.
Trading standards is also highlighting packs it has available containing information and advice to help people deal with cold callers.


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Earthfall E3 2018 Trailer
Holospark shows off their Co-Op shooter, featuring the Unreal 4 engine, at E3 2018.
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Last August, Google acquired Motorola Mobility for the whopping sum of $12.5 Billion. This gave them their mobile division as well as their set-top box business which is in Millions of homes. The acquisition was finally made official earlier this year and there were some restrictions in regards to Android and keeping Google from giving Motorola special treatment.
Since the whole deal, we haven't really heard too much about the set top box business. The fact is, Motorola has boxes in a large amount of homes and there were some really cool ideas floating around such as Google TV integrated into the cable boxes. Instead of requiring people to buy a pricey TV, instead they could simply hook up a new Motorola box to their existing TV and get all the benefits.
While that seemed like a great idea, it seems Google has other plans with the business. According to Bloomberg, two sources claim that they want to sell it off and has hired Barclays to find buyers. The business could fetch around $2 Billion and Motorola was said to have tried selling the Home business for over $4 Billion in 2009. Clearly, that didn't end up working out.
The reason for Google selling it off could be from a number of reasons. Great innovation can be made in that field, but maybe the set top box business wasn't up to their standards, or they'd rather other people deal with the hardware side while they deal with the software side. At the end of the day, Google is a software company and where they do best. Having others do the hardware makes a lot of business sense.


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Today, beauty care and grooming products like face washes, shampoos and soaps are hot selling items in retail stores. But did you know many of them contain microbeads (minute 5mm plastic capsules) that are infused with skin nourishing vitamins. The beads exfoliate upon use and are supposed to remove dead cells. The only problem is that while human beings think they nourish their skin, these beads are actually found to be carcinogenic, and when disposed of, can destroy biodiversity. They impact ground water, lakes, rivers and oceans. “They clog sewers and destroy city infrastructure,” says Manish Chowdhary, co-founder of Fit & Glow, stressing on the need for retailers and manufacturers in India to promote organic, cellulose-based microbeads.
For those who follow the news would remember Bengaluru’s lakes clogging and foaming up. This has happened across the country. But there is no campaign in India to stop these plastics from being used in cosmetic products. Like always, these campaigns start in the West.
A couple of days ago Tesco PLC, the $67.8-billion UK-based retailer, has announced that it will phase out all cosmetic products with such plastics by 2017. Similarly, the US went on a war path forcing all manufacturers and large consumer goods companies to stop infusing these beads in beauty products. A report last year from United Nations Environment Programme stated that most beauty care products contained polymers that may not break down for at least 100 years, causing permanent damage to aquatic systems.
Why this is a priority?
According to a report by CII, India’s beauty care industry is worth $274 billion globally and $4.6 billion in India. The organised retailing Industry, including e-commerce, is $60 billion in size, and cosmetics form at least nine percent of their revenues. “There is an entire set of consumers moving towards organic brands that do not contain these plastics. Young cosmetic brands today are more conscious about the environment than mass-produced goods,” says Prithika Parthasarathy, founder of AVA Skin Care. She says that there is a case for e-commerce and legacy retailers to be more proactive in addressing these concerns of cancer-causing items. “Maybe they can stamp stickers that say that these products contain microbeads that destroy water and city life,” advocates Prithika.
There are more than 1,000 fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies in India, many of them small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that are selling in legacy and e-commerce platforms. While the consumer in India is young and is just about going global in outlook, they are yet to understand the impact of microbead-based products on the environment. It is time to create a consensus on these issues and save our water resources. The UK and US are banning all such products coming out of manufacturing plants in China and other parts of the world. It is time the Indian consumer woke up, even though we are caught in the demonetisation debate today.


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Tag "Chipper Cash"
African cross-border fintech startup Chipper Cash has closed a $13.8 million Series A funding round led by Deciens Capital and plans to hire 30 new staff
Visa has prioritized growth in Africa, and partnering with startups is central to its strategy. This became obvious in 2019 after the global financial services
Africa has one of the world’s fastest growing tech markets and Nigeria is becoming its unofficial capital. While the West African nation is commonly associated
The Catalyst Fund has gained $15 million in new support from JP Morgan and UK Aid and will back 30 fintech startups in Africa, Asia,


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The global PC shipments declined reportedly declined by a record 27.8 per cent (year-on-year) in Q4 2022, reaching 65.2 million units, with entire 2022 shipments declining by 15 per cent (year on year).
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G: Quick Review- Good device under Rs 20,000
According to the new report of Counterpoint Research, the macroeconomic headwinds, increasing inflation pressure, and frozen PC demand affected the global PC market in 2022.
ALSO READ: Tech industry in turmoil: Layoffs on the rise as companies struggle to stay afloat
Lenovo has continued to lead the market in Q4 of 2022 but with a flattish 23.7 per cent share. Its shipments have declined by 17 per cent (year on year) in 2022 to take a 23.7 per cent market share.
ALSO READ: Mivi Model E Review: Premium looking smartwatch with decent performance
HP secured second place in Q4 2022 with a 20.3 per cent share. Its shipments declined 29 per cent (year on year) during the quarter, but it was the only major PC OEM to report positive sequential shipment growth in Q4, according to the report.
Moreover, Dell's 16.7 per cent market share was the lowest in the past seven quarters largely due to an enterprise demand slowdown.
The report said that Dell's share and shipment performance may see pressure in 2023.
Apple saw a tiny 3 per cent (year on year) shipment decline in Q4 2022, which helped the company close the book with a flattish shipment volume performance for 2022.
Furthermore, the report mentioned that consumer demand will likely see a gradual rebound in H2 2023, followed by a slower warm-up in enterprise procurement.
Eying Apple's M-series success, Qualcomm's Arm-based Oryon CPU will likely enter the market and heat up Windows-on-Arm momentum in 2023, said the report.


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Head on over to StarWars.com for an interview they recently conducted with the Hasbro design team about the development of the new Black Series HyperReal 8″ Darth Vader figure that debuted at Toy Fair NY earlier this year. Check out the intro to their interview copied below and then take the supplied source link for the full read.
Official Hasbro press images of the HyperReal 8″ Vader figure can be found here.
There have been Darth Vader action figures ever since Kenner’s first wave of toys in 1978. But there’s never been one like this.
This fall, Hasbro is launching HyperReal Darth Vader, an action-figure that is the stuff of dreams for anyone who has ever played with and loved Star Wars toys. Living up to its line’s namesake, it looks astonishingly real — and that was the goal. The idea was sparked from the ever-growing popularity of toy photography on Instagram, and figuring out a way to remove one irksome visible element that breaks the fantasy of realism: action-figure joints.
“It made it a direct correlation with it being a toy versus being something real,” says Sam Smith, design manager of Star Wars. “We strived to remove that piece, to start to blur the lines between reality.”
To do so, Hasbro went with an entirely new scale that would allow for the detail and engineering necessary to pull off this dream. “An eight-inch scale was required to do that well,” says Patrick Schneider, senior brand manager of Star Wars. “We viewed that as our opportunity to do the best-ever action figure that we’ve done.”


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SANTA MONICA, CA — These days, big brands looking to leverage data in advertising have to consider identity resolution, audience building, activation, measurement and analytics.
TransUnion wants to offer the whole kaboodle under one roof.
In this video interview with Beet.TV, Cory Davis, Sr. Industry Executive, Media & Platforms, TransUnion, explains why.
TransUnion is the consumer data provider which has emerged to offer a range of audience identity data solutions in the media space, with acquisitions including Neustar.
“Most clients at this point, the trend is sort of to look for a full stack solution, whether you’re a brand, an agency, an ad tech business, or a media platform,” says Davis.
He believes this changing trend is steering the industry towards a more integrated approach that benefits multiple stakeholders in the advertising ecosystem.
Deep Strategic Relationships
In Davis’ view, TransUnion’s approach to data and advertising is characterized by a more strategic relationship with individual brands.
He says: “We’re going to be in a much more strategic kind of relationship with that individual brand related to everything on their first party data, not just this individual campaign, not just this individual channel.”
This strategic relationship is not confined to brands alone. It extends to data businesses, data providers, agencies, ad tech platforms, and media destinations, with the common thread being a focus on the full stack solution.
Curiosity Drives Momentum
TransUnion has acquired several market-leading assets over the years to create a marketing services business that has emerged as a leading provider in a highly competitive industry.
“I think much of the market hasn’t really figured us out yet,” Davis says. “They’ve seen the press, they’ve seen the news, they’ve seen the big stories about the acquisitions, and they’re looking under the hood and really seeing what we’re doing, and everybody’s generally pretty excited about that.”
Looking ahead, Davis expresses his hope for a continuation of the flight to quality around data assets, data quality, and data credibility. He says: “The higher the data quality, the better the outcome for the end marketer and for the consumer that’s experiencing this advertisement that is selling them something.”
You’re watching Beet.TV’s coverage of Beet Retreat Santa Monica. This series and event is sponsored by Experian, Moloco and OpenX. For more videos from the series, please visit this page.


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It is now well-known that India is on track to overtake traditional beef export powerhouses Australia, Brazil and the United States as the world’s largest exporter of bovine meat products.
What is less well known however is exactly where India’s beef and buffalo meat exports go.
Meat & Livestock Australia has tapped into the Global Trade Atlas to find out where India has been making its mark in recent years.
India’s rise to become world’s largest exporter was fuelled by 40pc year-on-year growth in exports in 2011-12, when its shipments reached 1.068 million tonnes cwt.
According to GTA statistics, Vietnam was India’s largest export destination in 2011-12, totalling 302,516 tonnes cwt – up 137pc year-on-year.
Exports also surged 16pc to Malaysia (103,906 tonnes cwt), supported by lower prices and growing demand for red meat.
Rounding off the top five Indian beef export destinations for the year ending June 2012 were Jordan (up 47pc, to 74,686 tonnes cwt), Saudi Arabia (up 30pc, to 72,597 tonnes cwt) and Egypt (down 9pc, to 72,155 tonnes cwt).
MLA said that along with cheaper product, the fact that all Indian beef is produced to Halal standards also gave it a competitive advantage in the Middle East.
Finalising the top 10 markets for Indian beef in 2011-12 was Algeria (53,733 tonnes cwt), the Philippines (47,452 tonnes cwt), the United Arab Emirates (45,291 tonnes cwt), Iran (33,982 tonnes cwt) and Thailand (29,935 tonnes cwt). Other markets for Indian beef include numerous African countries, including Angola (25,730 tonnes cwt), the Congo (15,117 tonnes cwt) and Gabon (7,225 tonnes cwt).
“Fortunately, Australia’s largest export markets, Japan, Korea, the US and Taiwan all received no product from India last financial year, restricted by access issues and accompanied by India’s inability to provide assurance of a Foot and Mouth Disease free status,” the MLA report commented.
HAVE YOUR SAY


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- Jeb Wallace-Brodeur
- Marc Sherman and Trudy Trombley (front) with (from left) Abby Sherman, Denise Earley, Erin Welch and Angela Peterson
In the first week of June 2020, Marc Sherman wasn't sure whether his business, Stowe Mercantile, would survive until the Fourth of July. The country store on Main Street in downtown Stowe, which sells mostly locally produced foods, candies, apparel, jewelry and souvenirs, was facing the worst crisis in its 32-year history. Revenues had plummeted to 30 percent of normal.
Much of Stowe Mercantile's inventory is specialty food items, which had been purchased the previous December and January but couldn't be sold while the store was shuttered for 10 weeks. Eventually, most passed their expiration dates; even the local food pantries couldn't accept them. The boutique's line of women's spring apparel, also purchased during the winter, had a longer shelf life, but even that sat unsold through its intended season.
A federal Paycheck Protection Program loan covered some losses, Sherman said, but the business continued to hemorrhage cash.
"We need action very quickly," he announced at a press conference on June 2, when a coalition of Vermont business owners urged state lawmakers to release much-needed economic aid. "I can save 15 jobs supporting 15 families ... For my business, it's a matter of weeks, not months."
What a difference a year makes.
"We bounced back pretty well and had a fairly strong winter," Sherman said in an interview last week. "It's still off, and there are fewer people in town. But the average [number of] transactions is up, and the people who are here are spending more."
Sherman knows something about economic ups and downs. Prior to opening Stowe Mercantile in the late 1980s, which he now co-owns with his partner, Trudy Trombley, he was a dairy farmer in upstate New York near Utica. Then, after three years of managing a ranch in Colorado, Sherman got a degree in dairy management before ultimately giving up on farming and moving to Vermont.
Today, Stowe Mercantile is a family-run business in the true sense of the phrase. Trombley, who joined the company in 1999, has three daughters working there: Denise, a jewelry designer who manages Stowe Mercantile and its clothing boutique, as well as the company's website and marketing; Erin, who oversees merchandising and purchasing; and Angela, who handles graphic art for garments, souvenir mugs and other memorabilia.
Sherman's youngest daughter, Abby, a locally renowned Americana musician and songwriter, develops specialty food items in the Stowe Mercantile Kitchen, the company's commercial food production facility. She's created ready-to-eat crackers and tortilla chips, as well as 25 different mixes for DIY muffins, popovers, crêpes and griddle cakes. According to Sherman, Abby's products have been selling like, well, hotcakes.
But this time last year, he recalled, a recovery seemed anything but ready-made. Having closed the store even before the governor issued his "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order last March, Sherman wasn't sure how soon visitors would return.
"Would anyone be traveling? Would anyone be in town? Would we have to close down and liquidate our inventory, or what?" he remembered thinking. "We just didn't know."
- Jeb Wallace-Brodeur
- Stowe Mercantile
For a time, Sherman said, it looked like the company might go under. He financed the payroll and overhead out of his own pocket, though he emphasized that it was far from a solo effort. A number of his vendors and suppliers worked with him on extending invoice dates, cutting freight costs and defraying other expenses.
"Everyone chipped in a little bit, and it allowed a lot of businesses like ours to remain viable," he said.
By mid-July, normally the store's busiest season, customers began trickling in and sales picked up. In the fall, Stowe Mercantile secured its second PPP loan — Sherman declined to reveal how much he received — and by the winter holiday shopping season, he rehired two employees who'd been laid off.
Though 2020 ended better than Sherman had initially expected, things remained tenuous heading into the normally slow winter season.
"For a while, it wasn't about making money. It was just trying to keep turning inventory and keep the cash flow going," he said.
If the pandemic had any silver lining, Sherman added, it was in the lessons they learned as a business. For one, he said, "We'll forever be conscious of our inventory levels and our perishables."
Ditto for staffing levels, which they watch more closely. And like many businesses, Stowe Mercantile used COVID-19 as an opportunity to reach out to customers via email and significantly expand online sales.
By most measures, the return of visitors this summer looks promising compared to last year, but it's still off from 2019 levels. According to lodging survey data from the Stowe Area Association, the town's business marketing organization, room occupancies for May are down 59 percent compared to 2019; bookings for June through August are also off 42 percent from two years earlier. But by any measure, visitations are way ahead of last year.
Rachel Vandenberg, co-owner of the 39-room Sun & Ski Inn and Suites, Stowe Bowl and the Stowe Golf Park, saw her businesses pummeled by the pandemic, with revenues down as much as 75 percent last summer. About the only bright spot, she noted, was the miniature golf course, as Vermonters sought safe and socially distanced outdoor activities. This year, the golf park opened a month earlier than usual.
But as spring and summer bookings inch up, Vandenberg said that she's looking forward to sending guests down the road to Stowe Mercantile — and shopping there herself.
"The store has a lot of great gifts," she said. "Whenever we're going to buy a birthday gift or something, that's always one of the places I think of going."
For his part, Sherman is cautiously optimistic about the coming months.
"All signs point to a strong summer," he said. "We're breathing a sigh of relief that we got through it all."


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NVIDIA CHANGES THE WORLD
NVIDIA is gearing up to do more than just make GPUS
It could be said that Computex is the most important technology exhibition of the year. It may not have the scale or flash of CES, the unveiling of flagship smartphones like MWC or all the smart-home innovations of IFA, but Computex is the place where the chipsets and other technology behind all of our best-loved devices finally get to see the light of day. Nvidia – known for GPUS – unveiled some of its new products in Taiwan during Computex 2018.
The gaming-laptop market is seeing an upturn, with many people coming to appreciate the raw-power advantage over the everyday laptop. The problem laptops had before was that if you were after better frame rates, improved visual detail or true 4K, a desktop PC would have been your only answer. Now, gorgeous 18 mm-thin laptops boasting up to 70 per cent better gaming and equipped with Geforce GTX 1060, 1070 or 1080 GPUS are a reality thanks to Nvidia’s new design approach: Max-q.
According to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Max-q laptops offer 60 per cent improved performance over the standard Playstation 4. Making this even more exciting is the fact that Max-q laptops are designed to run at a maximum of 40 db with a new Whispermode that makes your laptop quieter when plugged in.
MAX-Q was designed with a number of the leading OEMS, so you will be able to get the most advanced laptop-gaming experience from your favourite brands, including ASUS, MSI Alienware, Hewlett- Packard, Gigabyte, and Lenovo.
If, like me, you were hoping that Nvidia would be unveiling new GPUS, you’re out of luck. According to Huang, the next generation of Geforce GPUS will be ‘a long time from now.’ To temper the disappointment, Huang showcased the DGX-2 supercomputer Nvidia calls ‘ The World’s Largest GPU’. One node provides two petaflops of oomph and a 512 GB buffer rate, has 1,5 TB of system memory and can replace 300 servers.
AI is the buzzword in tech. Huang calls AI the automation of automation. To help Nvidia achieve ever more advanced AI capabilities, the company has created Jetson Xavier, according to Huang the most complex SOC (System on a Chip) ever made – the ‘world’s first intelligent machine processor’. It houses nine billion transistors in a 350 mm2 area (on the 12 nm fabrication node), and has a Volta Tensor Core GPU with 512 cores. Huang also announced Nvidia Isaac, the company’s robotics platform powered by Xavier, with the early access devkit available from August 2018 at a cost of US $1 299 – around R17 000.
The company also announced it was partnering with the city of Taipei to ‘supercharge’ the city with Nvidia’s AI tech, with a focus on manufacturing, healthcare, transportation and the smart city. There’s one clear takeaway from the Nvidia announcements at Computex: As the world becomes more reliant on technology, more heavy lifting will need to be done by machines, which means more powerful GPUS. This puts Nvidia in a prime position to become the infrastructure of the future, powering most of your devices in one form or another.
‘AI is the automation of automation,’ says Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. The company is enjoying growth in this pre- quantum computing world.


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At a time when technology has influenced just about everything, guests at the Residence Inn Los Angeles LAX/Century Boulevard can get room deliveries from the country’s most advanced robot butler.
General Manager Tom Beedon said the hotel’s new robot “Wally” will never replace his staff, but it has been getting plenty of attention from guests.
“They love this thing,” Beedon said. “We have been getting overwhelmingly positive responses from everyone who has interacted with Wally.”
Beedon said his hotel is one of just six hotels in the world where the robot butler is being piloted. He said Wally makes as many as 40 runs a day, delivering everything from fresh towels to Starbucks coffee.
Equipped with a camera and sensors that allow him to avoid guests walking through the lobby and maneuver throughout the hotel, Wally is the brainchild of a company called Savioke that is pioneering robot technology.
Brett Blume, pictured here with Wally, said the robot has been incredibly popular, with guests calling the front desk and asking for deliveries just to see Wally in action.
Though Wally is particularly useful during the graveyard shift, when he can make autonomous deliveries without the help of a staff member (he even calls the elevator himself), Beedon said he is always finding new ways to make Wally more useful.
“We’re trying to make it more interactive for the guests,” said Beedon, who is contemplating having Wally deliver drinks to guests in the lobby or simply interact with guests by asking them how their stay has been.


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San Francisco – Mobeam, a San Francisco-based developer of communications technology that allows mobile phones to interact with laser scanners at retail checkouts, said on Monday it has added another $1.5 million to its first round of funding, closing the round at $6.4 million.
The company originally announced $4.9 million in October from yet2Ventures, Samsung Ventures and Mitsui, as well as other independent investors.
Mobeam then ended the year by announcing a partnering with Procter & Gamble to bring the first-ever fully mobile couponing system to market. The project will make electronic coupons presented on a mobile device scannable, so shoppers will need only their device, instead of paper coupons.
This article was also published in Bay Area Tech Wire.
Press release – http://tinyurl.com/7zk47so


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Whether you’re shopping for a fitness-tracker or in the early stages of training for a marathon, the issue of how much energy you burn in your day-to-day activities will likely rear its head at some point.
We know, we know: You just started enjoying pumpkin spice lattes again, and now we're already talking about another warm winter drink. Time might feel like it's going too fast, but it will definitely back
TravelIntelligent Travel The Spanish do it. The French, the Brits, and the Italians are all doing it. But Americans? We haven’t yet joined the ranks of Ibiza lovers. Last month, I gave in to a nagging
It seems like there’s been a rush of information about the Galaxy Gear smart watch over the past week, and here’s yet another piece of information. Samsung is planning to launch the device in a range five


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The Cayuga County Soil and Water District has started taking orders for its 48th annual spring tree and groundcover sale, as well as this spring's fish stocking sale.
For the tree sale, the district offers a number of types of New York-grown conifers, hardwoods, shrubs and groundcovers. According to a release from the district, the seedlings, transplants and other plants provide a low-cost way to prevent erosion, improve water quality, promote wildlife, and create noise and visual buffers that double as wind and snow breaks.
The fish stocking sale offers a variety of fish to be used in ponds, including rainbow trout, largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, black crappie, channel catfish and minnows.
Additionally, grass carp will be available for purchase for landowners with appropriate state Department of Environmental Conservation permits.
For the tree sale, the district is taking orders through April 23, with a pickup date of May 3. For fish, orders will be taken until May 7, with a pickup date of May 13.
Order forms for both sales are available at cayugswcd.org, by calling (315) 252-4171 ext. 3, or by visiting the District's office on County House Road in Sennett.


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Companies have begun pointing fingers at one another and offering conflicting theories about the possible source of salmonella contamination that has sickened 1,470 people and led to the recall of 550 million eggs.
Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, whose chicken-feed samples tested positive for salmonella, has suggested the contamination might have come from a feed ingredient, bone meal, supplied by another company.
That company, Central Bi-Products of Redwood Falls, Minn., strongly disagreed Tuesday and said its heat-processed bone meal was untainted when it was shipped.
The Food and Drug Administration said it still didn't know where the contamination found by its inspectors originated. It issued a report Monday citing many sanitation problems at Wright's facilities, such as flies, frogs, pigeons, piles of chicken manure, and bird droppings.
The tainted eggs haven't been tied to any deaths, according to the U.S. government. The strain of bacteria linked to the illnesses was found in feed made by Wright's parent company, Quality Egg LLC, which also supplies the other major egg producer in the recall, Hillandale Farms of Iowa.
Wright raised the issue of its supplier Thursday when the FDA said the feed and bone meal showed traces of salmonella. Wright spokeswoman Hinda Mitchell said the company kept bone meal in an overhead bin and the ingredient was tested separately by FDA officials.
"This finding obviously is of great concern to us," Wright said in a statement, adding that the company provided the FDA with information about its supplier and immediately notified that company of the testing results.
Central Bi-Products's president, Don Davis, said in an interview that he was "shocked and surprised" that anyone was suggesting his bone-meal ingredients were tainted, in light of recent FDA reports on Wright County Egg farms.
He said Central Bi-Products heats its meat and bone meal to temperatures of up to 260 degrees to kill any bacteria, including salmonella, and hires a company to test its products regularly. The ingredients are later added to the chicken feed as a protein supplement. It appears "obvious" that any contamination occurred after the meal left Central's plant, Mr. Davis said.
If that is so, the question remains as to when the salmonella got into the feed, which the FDA has said is a likely source of infection in the chickens and their eggs.
The sanitary conditions in the Quality Egg feed mill, where feed and feed ingredients are stored, showed multiple points of possible contamination, according to the FDA.
Storage bins containing ingredients including the meat and bone meal were rusted, porous and exposed to live birds and avian feces, FDA investigators said. They also said rodents, a major source of salmonella, appeared to have access to many parts of the barn.
Quality Egg mixes the bone meal with corn and soy meal to make the feed that is given to chickens. An FDA official said individual ingredients were usually heat-treated but the final feed wasn't processed again.
Central Bi-Products's Mr. Davis said his company didn't sell directly to Wright or Quality Egg but went through a middleman. He said Central Bi-Products, which is part of Farmers Union Industries LLC, supplies many farms and feed distributors. According to FDA officials, only two egg farms—Wright and Hillandale—appear to be linked to the contamination.


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SCRANTON -- Scranton's sale of the Scranton Sewer authority is official.
Pennsylvania American water is the new owner of the Scranton Sewer Authority.
The price tag for the sewer authority was $195 million dollars.
According to Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright, the city's will receive $83 million dollars from that sale.
Scranton expected to make $96 million dollars from the Scranton Sewer Authority sale.


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To Your Inbox HERE.
Don Omar, an artist who in the past few years has been defined by his hit singles, and Jenni Rivera, whose chart success was driven by album sales, were the top winners at the 2013 Billboard Latin Music Awards. The awards, presented by State Farm, were broadcast live on the Telemundo network from the BankUnited Center in Miami.
In less than 10 years, iTunes has become embedded in people’s everyday lives as part of the fabric of our regular digital commerce. Our ongoing coverage of this industry-changing platform, includes: a Spotify playlist, of iTunes biggest hits; 7 ways iTunes changed the landscape in the words of the music execs; a guest post by Jason Herskovitz on Apple's choice ahead and more.
WARNER MUSIC GROUP OUTLINES PARLOPHONE PLAN, EXPECTS $70 MILLION IN SAVINGS
In a memo to the Warner Music Group staff today, CEO Stephen Cooper has laid out the procedure by which the Parlophone Label Group will be integrated into the company. Warner acquired Parlophone from Universal Music Group in February. According to its SEC filing, Warner is seeking an $820 million term loan in order to finance the Parlophone acquisition, pay related fees and expenses and use for general corporate purposes
THE IMPORTANCE OF APPLE'S ECOSYSTEM
It's no secret that Apple's ecosystem is vital to the company's success. Now two of the three ratings agencies agree.
Thanks to Record Store Day, weekly U.S. vinyl album sales hit a historic high: A total of 244,000 vinyl LPs were sold in the week ending April 21, according to Nielsen SoundScan -- the largest one-week sum for vinyl albums since SoundScan started tracking sales in 1991.
Selena Gomez flies 22-5 on the Social 50 chart this week, earning the singer/actress her highest rank (No. 5) since Nov. 24, 2012. The chart surge is owed in part to a performance of the track on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" (April 18), as well as residual buzz from its premiere performance on the MTV Movie Awards (April 14).
SpinMedia, the company formerly known as Buzz Media that includes a number of websites including Spin magazine, has bought Vibe, the hip-hop/R&B magazine founded by Quincy Jones and Time Warner in 1992. CEO Steve Hansen said Vibe is likely to go online-only later this year.
Alabama Shakes, M83 and BOY are among the breakout indie artists of 2012 nominated for this year's Libera Awards. A2IM, the American Association for Independent Music, recently announced the full slate of nominees, which include both artists
Lauryn Hill took to her Tumblr page to comment on recent media reports that she’d inked a new deal with Sony Music in order to help her avoid prison time for three years' worth of missed tax returns. She wrote that she will be launching a new label through Sony to release her new music but called media reports on the nature of the deal and its dollar amount “inaccurate.”
ULTRA MUSIC LANDS IN EUROPE, APPOINTS UNIVERSAL'S TOM KEIL GM
Ultra Music has set up a dedicated European office, based in Zurich, Switzerland and Patrick Moxey, president of Ultra Music, has appointed Tom Keil, former A&R Manager of Universal Music Germany, as the new general manager for Ultra Music Europe. Keil served Universal Music Germany for more than two years Sony Music and Ultra announced a global-spanning strategic alliance between the companies earlier this year.
Online shoppers, beware. Freedom from sales taxes is on the way out. Late Thursday afternoon, in a 63-to-30 procedural vote, the Senate cleared the way for passage of a bill to effectively end tax-free shopping online. A final Senate vote is scheduled for May 6. The bill, called the Marketplace Fairness Act, would allow states to require online sellers around the country to collect sales tax for them on purchases made by their residents.
Wall Street Journal
The PepsiCo Americas Beverages division of PepsiCo is teaming up with Complex Media on behalf of one of its biggest soft-drink brands, Mountain Dew, for a sponsored-content initiative that will be housed on a new Web site, Green-Label.com. The site will replace several Web sites and a YouTube channel that have been overseen by PepsiCo Americas Beverages since 2007. Complex Media operates numerous verticals, devoted to the same kinds of content featured on Green-Label.com, on subjects like fashion, music, sports and style.
New York Times
The Red Bull Music Academy, a five-week series of concerts, lectures, art installations and workshops that is one of the biggest musical happenings in New York, as well as perhaps the most elaborate example of the reach of corporate brands into popular culture. A combination citywide festival and private musical summer camp, the academy has been held in a different international city nearly each year since 1998, when it began in Berlin. The events this year — underwritten by Red Bull, at a cost that is undisclosed but is surely well into the millions — include eyebrow-raisers like Brian Eno presenting his visual art piece “77 Million Paintings”; Ryuichi Sakamoto performing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; and Giorgio Moroder, the pioneering producer of Donna Summer, offering what he says is his first D.J. set in the United States.
New York Times
Atlanta entertainment attorney James L. Walker, Jr. sued Sony BMG Music Entertainment for telling black artists not to use a black law firm and has found settlement with the music titan for an undisclosed amount. This settlement comes after the two have been in litigation for about 8 years. According to Rap Rehab Walker filed a 13 count complaint alleging among other things that the Verity Gospel Division of Sony BMG attempted to defame his name by telling lies and attempting to rip clients from his small Connecticut based law firm.
Skylar Diggins, the third player chosen in the Women’s National Basketball Association draft, has signed with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports, a statement from the firm said. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, announced April 2 that he was starting an athlete representation firm with New York Yankees All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano as its first client.
STOP THE PRESSES
- Kool Keith's New Album Will Be Called 'Magnetic Pimp Force Field.' Obviously...
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- Soul II Soul's Jazzie B honoured with jazzy bench
- Emo is Dead, Long Live Emo: 30 Bands Making it Safe to Hurt Again
- Amazon competes with namesake river for .amazon domain
- Psy knocked off top of South Korean charts by 63-year-old easy listening star
- Justin Bieber’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad 2013: A timeline
- Gene Simmons to Kids: Get Out of My House


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The Chief Executive Officer of SoftBank has recently stated that Arm’s sale to Nvidia Corp will drive growth in computing power, in his 1st public comments since the 40-billion-dollar deal was proclaimed last month.
He commented at a virtual summit about AI which was hosted by Saudi Arabia, who is an anchor investor in the 100-billion-dollar Vision Fund, at which he restated his belief that Artificial Intelligence will transform society.
The Nvidia deal, part of a series of asset sales by the company’s CEO, whose group has been shaken by soured investments and the current outbreak, has elevated concerns whether it will threaten Arm’s role as an unbiassed supplier in the industry.
Image from SoftBank
He is ready to speak the upcoming week with Nvidia’s CEO at SoftBank World, which is the firm’s annual event especially for customers as well as for suppliers that are being retooled because it emphasizes investing.
The company’s growing cash pile is driving rumors about future investment plans, with the Vision Fund aiming at external funding for a blank-check firm, which the source said, in a sign, the group is retrieving its mojo.
The company’s Investment Advisers’ CEO which oversees the Vision Fund, has told that the market share gained by online commerce firms in the last 6 to 8 months is more than what the company gained in the last 4 years put together.


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There has been a lot of buzz about RIM’s first move into the Exchange ActiveSync world with the upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS. In a recent TechRadar article, BlackBerry software head Vivek Bhardwaj commented that this huge switch to Exchange ActiveSync is a change in the right direction for BlackBerry, praising it as an “open standard”.
The article was very positive about Exchange ActiveSync, listing some major advantages over the BlackBerry Internet Service, such as being able to get your email significantly faster, synchronization of read and deleted messages in both directions, and direct synchronization of your contacts and calendars.
According to RIM, BlackBerry 10 phones will not be on the market until late 2012. The good news is you don’t have to wait! Get Exchange ActiveSync on your BlackBerry with AstraSync and enjoy these benefits TODAY!


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Hamleys reveals its top 10 toys for Christmas — and it’s another win for Barbie
The Metro says The world’s oldest toy store, Hamleys, has unveiled it’s top 10 toys for Christmas 2023.
Each year, expert buyers from the retailer curate an edit of the products expected to be on every child’s Christmas list, but this year, they’re catering for adults too.
And, in a year that the world turned Barbie pink, it’s perhaps no surprise that top on their list is the iconic doll herself.
The store’s predicted best-seller is the £27 Barbie Pop Reveal doll, offering an ‘unboxing experience’ that reveals which of the four ‘flavours’ you’ve been gifted – strawberry lemonade, fruit punch, watermelon crush or grape fizz.


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Nespresso brings back popular ‘Tribute to Milano’ coffee pod
Nespresso is bringing back one of its most popular coffee pods, ‘Tribute to Milano’.
Tribute to Milano was first launched in 2015 and makes a strong coffee which plays homage to the Italian city of Milan.
The pod includes Arabica and Robusta beans that create what Nespresso describes as a “delightful balance between fine fruity aromas and sweet cereal notes”.
Mitch Monaghan, Nespresso Coffee Ambassador, said Australians have a love for intense coffee.
“Originally launched in 2015, bringing back the Limited Edition Tribute to Milano is our way of showing our customers we know what they love,” Monaghan said.
Nespresso said Tribute to Milano is best enjoyed as a 20ml Ristretto. If milk is added a creamy taste with caramel aromas is created.
Tribute to Milano is available now for a limited time at Nespresso Boutiques, online or through calling the Nespresso Club. The recommended retail price is AUD $9.30 for 10 capsules.
- Nespresso launches ‘aged coffee’ pods
- Nespresso responds to consumers wanting stronger coffee
- Nespresso extends its coffee pod recycling program
Pizza Capers has launched its first vegan menu options.
Donut King is selling a new range of donuts designed to bring Australian adults back to their childh...
Belgium chocolatier Godiva has opened its first Australian store, located in Melbourne city.
A FOOD industry player and the “demon” sugar have been included in CHOICE magazine’s hall of shame, ...
The Retail Food Group (RFG) has posted net profits after tax of $33.5 million for the first half of ...
Retail Food Group has promoted its Australian boss to lead a group-wide transformation program desig...
Mondelez International will cut 50 jobs from its Hobart Cadbury factory.
New Zealand’s Restaurant Brands has acquired 10 Australian KFC sites from Yum! Brands.


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The scandal-ridden food retailer Royal Ahold said today that the suspected fraud at its U.S. Foodservice division was much more extensive than previously thought. Ahold said its earnings had been overstated by $880 million over three years, and that it would have to take pretax charges of nearly $1 billion.
The company said today that it had dismissed the two U.S. Foodservice executives that it holds responsible for the accounting irregularities, and that it was continuing to cooperate with investigations into the matter by the Securities and Exchange Commission and by federal prosecutors.
Royal Ahold owns grocery store chains around the world, including stores in the United States like Stop & Shop, Bi-Lo, Giant and Tops. It had previously estimated that earnings for 2000, 2001 and 2002 would have to be restated downward by about $500 million. The size of the new figures seemed to shock the company's management as much as it did analysts and investors.
''It is a very disappointing result,'' said Dudley Eustace, Royal Ahold's interim chief financial officer, in an interview. Royal Ahold recruited Mr. Eustace after the accounting problems were first disclosed.
''It is an enormous amount of money,'' said Oscar Poos, an analyst at Oyens & Van Eeghen, reflecting the prevailing view among financial professionals who have been watching Royal Ahold.Continue reading the main story
''It is quite damaging,'' Mr. Poos said.
Even so, investors seemed to take heart from Royal Ahold's assurances that the worst news was now out. The company's badly battered stock rose 2.3 percent in Amsterdam trading to close at 5.35 euros ($6.08) a share. Royal Ahold said it would release audited results for 2002 before a June deadline imposed by its banks, clearing the way for a badly needed 3.1 billion-euro ($3.5 billion) credit line.
''Today, with the knowledge I have, I am not expecting to reveal any more skeletons,'' Mr. Eustace said.
Royal Ahold is still conducting an internal investigation into another set of problems that came to light at the same time, involving its South American operations, but Mr. Eustace said he did not expect to find irregularities there that came anywhere near the scale of what has been uncovered at the U.S. Foodservice unit, which is based in Columbia, Md.
The problems at U.S. Foodservice center around the way it accounted for promotional allowances, which are paid to distributors and retailers by food manufacturers and wholesalers to promote their products. U.S. Foodservice said it would write off $700 million in promotional allowances that it had previously booked, and would take another $290 million in other charges.
Royal Ahold said that two U.S. Foodservice executives, Mark P. Kaiser and Timothy Lee, arranged the recording of promotional allowances in a way that made the unit's earnings growth seem healthier than it was. Both men were dismissed, the company said.
Neither Mr. Lee nor Mr. Kaiser has been charged with any wrongdoing. Lawyers for the men declined comment.
U.S. Foodservice said today that allowances were recorded from some suppliers that may never have been paid, and that the records had been manipulated in a way that was sophisticated enough to avoid detection by auditors. ''They fooled a lot of people,'' Robert Gillison, senior vice president and treasurer of U.S. Foodservice, said today in an interview.
Both Mr. Gillison and Mr. Eustace confirmed today that some executives of the U.S. Foodservice unit might have personally profited as a result of the accounting irregularities. ''Bonuses were paid that would not have been under normal circumstances,'' Mr. Eustace said. ''It was fraud.''
The accounting scandal was the downfall of Cees van der Hoeven, the company's acquisition-minded chief executive and a darling of the Dutch press. Mr. van der Hoeven, who resigned in February after the accounting problems were reported, helped transform a Dutch family grocer into one of the world's largest retailers, spending $19 billion over 10 years to buy companies in some 30 countries.
Now, Royal Ahold's new management says the company's go-go atmosphere went too far.
''There was a great culture at Ahold to keep improving profits year after year,'' Mr. Eustace said. ''One can find oneself in a position were the growth objective is difficult to obtain. Perhaps, in this case, the gentlemen found a way of satisfying this objective by fraudulently creating these promotional allowances.''
Mr. van der Hoeven and his chief financial officer, Michael Meurs, who also resigned in February, are now in arbitration proceedings with the company over their severance packages, Mr. Eustace said.
Royal Ahold, meanwhile, is trying to move on. It has put the Latin American operations up for sale. And last week, it announced that Anders Moberg, a former chief executive of Ikea, would take over as chief executive of Royal Ahold.Continue reading the main story


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Paris fashion week strutting under cloudy economy
By Astrid Wendlandt
PARIS (Reuters) - Paris Fashion Week kicked off on Tuesday under a cloud of economic pessimism mixed with uncertainty about the creative direction of some of the world's biggest fashion brands including Dior, Louis Vuitton, Celine and Yves Saint Laurent.
After New York, London and Milan, Paris closes the season of presentations for next spring and summer with nine days of shows at which designers will be fighting for buyers and media attention amid worries about a possible economic slowdown.
In an early sign of trouble, Barbara Bui, one of France's few listed fashion brands, said earlier this month trading had become more unpredictable as it was concerned rising European taxes could affect consumer spending.
The next three months to Christmas is the make-or-break period for fashion brands when they sell the most products at full price. It is also when orders for next spring are made.
In France, business and consumer confidence slumped in September as investors questioned the solidity of the banking system, future growth prospects and whether the current euro zone debt crisis could be solved.
Making the industry's future even more of a guessing game, many top fashion houses are looking to for a next generation of designers to inject youth and excitement.
Christian Dior's show on Friday will be the talk of the town as the brand is still without a designer six months after the departure of John Galliano whose career at the French house ended abruptly after making anti-Semitic remarks at a Paris bar.
Dior's first show without Galliano in July was panned by critics as confusing and too zany. Continued...


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World Cup: Kicking Off Economic Growth
Will the 2006 World Cup in Germany provide a much needed boost to the economy?
April 5, 2006
Assessing the impact of major sports events is not easy. The last World Cup in 2002 spanned over two countries, Japan and South Korea, thus blurring the conclusions for a single host nation.
However, the previous World Cup tournament, in France in 1998, does provide Germany with a benchmark. Hosting the event helped France’s domestic economy weather a global downturn.
The event triggered a bout of spending frenzy, in particular as consumers purchased new audio/TV systems and other electronic equipment. A similar effect was noted in the United Kingdom when it hosted the European football championships two years earlier.
Altogether, French private consumption grew 1.5% in the spring quarter of 1998 — one of its strongest increases on record. Importantly, the boost took place ahead of the event, and was thus not related to the outcome itself.
France eventually became the world soccer champion that year This bodes well for Germany, the host of the 2006 World Cup. Since a victory in the tournament is far from certain, it is helpful to show that an economic stimulus does not depend on a tournament victory.
In France, preparations for the 1998 competition involved several multi-billion euro infrastructure projects. However, these took place well in advance of the event and were so well spread over time that the economic impact was hardly visible.
In addition, that expenditure came at a time when France’s budget policy was tightened sharply (with massive cutbacks in other component of government outlays) — so that the trend in government investment remained weak overall in the run-up to the 1998 tournament.
Whether hosting the World Cup would deliver a boost for tourism revenues was hotly debated in France at the time. Looking back, there is no sign whatsoever of such a positive effect.
In fact, it may in the end have proven a slight drag. Given that France is a traditional tourist destination (tourism-related expenditures make up almost 7% of GDP), it may have been the case that World-Cup related tourism flows crowded out others.
Events such as the World Cup can also lead to temporary price adjustments. However, looking bat the one component of the Consumer Price Index that would be most prone to such effects — namely prices in hotels, restaurants and cafés — there is no evidence of such an impact. The month-on-month increase was no higher than the usual seasonal effect in both June and July.
All in all, the example of France showed that large- scale global events like the World Cup can have measurable effects on GDP growth. However, the French experience cannot be simply applied to forecasts for Germany’s economic growth in 2006.
In 1998, France GDP growth was already robust, while in Germany GDP is expected to be fragile in 2006, mainly due to weak private consumption.
So far, a favorable impulse from preparations of the World Cup is hardly visible in Germany’s real economic indicators. With the competition itself to take place between June 9 and July 9, 2006, the lion’s share of the consumption impact on growth will be felt in the second quarter.
In order to assess the likely economic effects of the World Cup, we have made a number of assumptions to estimate the effect the competition is likely to have on German GDP growth in 2006:
- The German team will reach at least the quarter-finals.
- Roughly 3.5 million people will go to see the games, with about one million of them coming from abroad.
- The number of overnight stays will increase by five million.
- The average fan will spend about 150 euros per day.
- The demand components which should benefit most are private consumption, investment and exports.
Private consumption should benefit considerably from the World Cup in 2006. Retail sales alone could rise by about 500 million euros because of spending by spectators and fans. And it is not only the "true" football fans who will spend more.
Even those who do not go to see the games could buy World Cup merchandise — or purchase new audio/TV equipment. In addition, simply hosting the competition will create a temporary rise in employment.
About 60,000 new jobs are expected, in particular in the services sector. Indeed, roughly one-third of these jobs will probably remain even after the World Cup is over. Most of these permanent jobs should be created in the security, catering and restaurant sectors.
This should, in turn, lift disposable income and private consumption. Overall, private consumption could increase by about 2–3 billion euros in 2006, with most of the boost occurring in the first half of 2006. Part of may well be funded by a fall in the savings ratio.
In addition, there may be indirect consumption effects via confidence. The consumer climate has brightened somewhat in the last few months, driven mainly by the more favorable labor market. Hosting an event such as the Soccer World Cup could provide an additional lift to consumer sentiment.
It is fair to say that should the German team exceed our assumption in the tournament itself, consumer confidence could get a further boost (as it did in France) — which would, in turn, add to consumption. By the same token, a surprisingly bad showing by the German team might dampen private consumption.
Overall, we estimate that the World Cup will add roughly 5 billion euros to German GDP in 2006. This is equivalent to a 0.25 percentage point increase in the country’s rate of growth.
On a final note, it is useful to point out that consumption and overnight stays by foreign football fans will not be registered as an increase in private consumption. Rather they figure as exports — since such expenditures are treated, for statistical purposes, as services exports.
Together with exports of merchandise and other services, this should lift German exports by about 2 billion euros. As tourism is less important in Germany than in France, the negative effect of this crowding-out of ordinary tourists by soccer fans should be less pronounced.
Not only are exports expected to rise, but imports should increase as well. After all, most of the World Cup merchandise is likely to be imported. Thus, the total growth effect of net exports is expected to be somewhat smaller. Overall, we expect a soccer-related contribution to Germany’s net exports of roughly 0.1 percentage points.
Senior Economist, Deutsche Bank Stefan Bielmeier joined Deutsche Bank in 1996 and is currently senior economist at Deutsche Bank. Previously, he analyzed the behavior of the financial markets and developed econometric forecast models on the basis of these analyses. Within the bank’s Global Markets division he is the economist for Germany and forecasts all key […]